i had an appointment for my nhs checkup lastnight at 1830,i had taken the letter in to show the boss 2 weeks ago so there could be no confusion and reminded him again thisweek so imagine my suprise friday morning when he says ive got doncaster,derby,birmingham and the load will be ready at 9am at the depot in luton,so i point out to him my appointment and he says he will take the derby off [zb] great,and the brum is booked at 3pm.so i said in as few words as possible thanks ime sure i can do that.so i get to donny at 1230 and they all look suprised ime not booked in and no one told them i was coming,i get tipped by 2 and it takes me 2.45hrs to brum in the friday mayhem and ive missed my booking time so i get out of there at 1830 and back to luton at 2030,now i hate missing appointments and parked in the yard are trucks that left later than me so i can only think its personal,ive only taken 1 weeks holiday this year and even ran back in on the morning of the flight to help him out,now i do hold grudges and i intend to really muck this bloke about now,for the last 3 years i have double manned a load up to glasgow on xmas eve with a mate of mine it pays well and we leave at 10am and were back home before 6am christmas day its for the muslim shops up there who are open,no other driver wants it so he now expects me to do it and my name is next to it allready,well ive looked into my crystal ball and guess what ime only going to get the flu on the sunday night what a blow ive spoken to my mate who said he doesnt mind not doing it and wont travel with anyone else so it will be up to my great boss to sort it out xmas eve ferkem i really couldnt give a tiss.ime taking 2 weeks sick 1st time ever
for things like this, i take a week off. can’t miss it unless you’re ■■■■■■■ and i’ve done that too. 
Next time just book a day off for the doctors.
i would if it had been at a stupid time but i think 1830 is late enough to work with,or is that what everyone does these days?
10-08:
Next time just book a day off for the doctors.
That’s transport mate, you shouldn’t be so naive as to have plans and finish times. I’m guilty of that almost every week and in a split second it gets tucked up. Last Thursday in the space of 1 hour, 1 minute I was going to Sussex, next minute, I was going to Scarborough, and in the end ended up going back to the yard in Guildford and went home.
you would have thought they could have been a bit more helpful and got you back in time…unless it is a common occurance(you wanting a early finish on friday)
no not at all,what do you boys do about getting back to see your kids in the school pantos take a day off?
commonrail:
you would have thought they could have been a bit more helpful and got you back in time…unless it is a common occurance(you wanting a early finish on friday)
strongbowpeter:
no not at all,what do you boys do about getting back to see your kids in the school pantos take a day off?commonrail:
you would have thought they could have been a bit more helpful and got you back in time…unless it is a common occurance(you wanting a early finish on friday)
Welcome to transport
Might have been better to make it sat morn as a lot of Dr are now open then
With the best will in the world you cant plan to be back at any time due to idiots on the road etc
I have long since learned to take a day for a Doctor or Dental appointment. No matter what steps you put in place to make the set time, some spotty ‘yoof’ in the transport office will have you doing the complete opposite of what your planned day was. Either that or he will phone you with the ‘I need a favour’ ploy
Doctor or Dental appointment between 0900-1200 book all morning off, between 1000-1400 take all day, 1300-15 book the whole afternoon!
if you pull youre weight,i dont think it would be unreasonable of you to ask for a one off early finish.however…we`ve all met the driver who has to be back by 1700 every friday to pick up the kids/take the dog to the vets etc.
I can’t believe that some think that this is ok, and coming back with the “well that’s transport mate” line 
. Just because crap management and non consideration towards drivers lives outside the job has gradually became over the years the norm in transport, it doesn’t make it right, and as long as you put up with it it will never change. The lad gave him two weeks notice ffs, and assuming that he aint a habitual ■■■■ taker, it aint rocket science for the TM to try and sort it for him. I’ve done the job from both sides as a boss and a driver, as long as the guy was genuine and he gave me plenty notice for something important to him, I used to sort it, and now as a driver I seem to get the same courtesy applied to me , again if important and/or genuine. As long as you take crap conditions and treatment as normal and acceptable, the job will always be that…crap… think about it
robroy:
I can’t believe that some think that this is ok, and coming back with the “well that’s transport mate” line
what you’re saying is dead right. but it works both ways.
if i gave the boss two weeks notice about an appointment, i would bear in mind that he has a lot to deal with. so a little reminder on wednesday and thursday would have been the right thing to do in my opinion.
robroy:
I can’t believe that some think that this is ok, and coming back with the “well that’s transport mate” line
+1
FarnboroughBoy11:
That’s transport mate, you shouldn’t be so naive as to have plans and finish times.
Sorry but thats [zb]! He gave 2 weeks notice to his employer for a MEDICAL reason to be home. They had ample to time to arrange his day/week so that they could have got him home. Thats not “Transport” that was pure greed, keep him on the road and ■■■■ his health!
If i need doctor/dentist I always make my appointment for as late as possible on a Friday and my employer has ALWAYS got me home in time…its called proper planning!!!
msgyorkie:
robroy:
I can’t believe that some think that this is ok, and coming back with the “well that’s transport mate” line+1
FarnboroughBoy11:
That’s transport mate, you shouldn’t be so naive as to have plans and finish times.Sorry but thats [zb]! He gave 2 weeks notice to his employer for a MEDICAL reason to be home. They had ample to time to arrange his day/week so that they could have got him home. Thats not “Transport” that was pure greed, keep him on the road and [zb] his health!
If i need doctor/dentist I always make my appointment for as late as possible on a Friday and my employer has ALWAYS got me home in time…its called proper planning!!!
Still dont think you should plan an early finnish I have several times "planned " to be back yep employer knew but due to other road users inconvenience ( major accident ) I was very late so you cant plan that at all
In general there is no statutory right for employees to take time off work to attend medical appointments such as visits to the doctor, dentist or hospital and, subject to any contractual provisions, time off in these circumstances is at the discretion of the institution. However, there are some exceptions. Female staff who are pregnant are entitled to take reasonable time off to attend related medical appointments and antenatal classes where medically advised. In the case of employees covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, although they do not have a specific right to take reasonable time off to attend medical appointments, institutions are under a duty to prevent them suffering less favourable treatment at work because of their disability and to make reasonable adjustments where appropriate, which can include appropriate time off to attend medical appointments.
strongbowpeter:
no not at all,what do you boys do about getting back to see your kids in the school pantos take a day off?
Yes.
This is transport. The only thing you can guarantee in transport is the time you start. After then it is a crap shoot.
Anyone who plans anythingfor a specific time on a day they’re working, especially for something outside of work, is daft. As soon as you do, Murphy’s law kicks you in the arse.
Dave the Renegade:
In general there is no statutory right for employees to take time off work to attend medical appointments such as visits to the doctor, dentist or hospital and, subject to any contractual provisions, time off in these circumstances is at the discretion of the institution. However, there are some exceptions. Female staff who are pregnant are entitled to take reasonable time off to attend related medical appointments and antenatal classes where medically advised. In the case of employees covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, although they do not have a specific right to take reasonable time off to attend medical appointments, institutions are under a duty to prevent them suffering less favourable treatment at work because of their disability and to make reasonable adjustments where appropriate, which can include appropriate time off to attend medical appointments.
Maybe so, but why does everything in transport come down to legal and statuory rights, what happened to common decency, and general consideration, not to mention driver/employee pr, ( and no I aint naive before you ask. 
) I don’t include unforseens on the road etc, but in any other industry it would be deemed unreasonable, but if transport is seen as a special category why are we not on special category wages, it should work both ways.
robroy:
I can’t believe that some think that this is ok, and coming back with the “well that’s transport mate” line
Have you actually ever driven a truck? Your comment above certainly doesn’t seem to indicate you have. Absolutely everything other than the time you start work and direction and speed of your wagon is out of your control. You could turn up at a tip and a 30 minute tip take 3hrs. You could have a blowout driving down the road - there’s another 2hrs gone. There could be a smash on the motorway at one of the really bad places such as M1 J28 which screws up absolutely everything for miles around - there’s another 2hrs gone.
I’ve had 8hr days turn into 15hr ones many times. Once I had a run from Holme on Spalding Moor to Minsterley with some condensed milk. Normally 3.5hr drive there, 45 minutes sat in the canteen whilst the staff unloaded you, 3.5hr drive home, 45 minute tank wash, do paperwork and go home. This particular run the power steering failed at Shareshill on the way there. Gets recovered to Volvo dealership at Walsall who don’t have the part till the following day. Had to wait 5hrs for an agency driver to come down with a unit then take my tanker to Minsterley, discharge it and go back home. 9hr day turned into a 15hr day.
msgyorkie:
Sorry but thats [zb]! He gave 2 weeks notice to his employer for a MEDICAL reason to be home. They had ample to time to arrange his day/week so that they could have got him home. Thats not “Transport” that was pure greed, keep him on the road and [zb] his health!
If i need doctor/dentist I always make my appointment for as late as possible on a Friday and my employer has ALWAYS got me home in time…its called proper planning!!!
Have you never had a day turn to crap? Even he posted that he spent an extra 3hrs getting tipped than he normally would. His boss DID schedule it so he would be back but he got delayed at his first tip because they didn’t have a record of it then delayed at his second tip cos he was late due to the first.
Must be nice driving wagons in your universe where nothing ever goes wrong and always follows the plan.
Conor:
robroy:
I can’t believe that some think that this is ok, and coming back with the “well that’s transport mate” lineHave you actually ever driven a truck? Your comment above certainly doesn’t seem to indicate you have. Absolutely everything other than the time you start work and direction and speed of your wagon is out of your control. You could turn up at a tip and a 30 minute tip take 3hrs. You could have a blowout driving down the road - there’s another 2hrs gone. There could be a smash on the motorway at one of the really bad places such as M1 J28 which screws up absolutely everything for miles around - there’s another 2hrs gone.
I’ve had 8hr days turn into 15hr ones many times. Once I had a run from Holme on Spalding Moor to Minsterley with some condensed milk. Normally 3.5hr drive there, 45 minutes sat in the canteen whilst the staff unloaded you, 3.5hr drive home, 45 minute tank wash, do paperwork and go home. This particular run the power steering failed at Shareshill on the way there. Gets recovered to Volvo dealership at Walsall who don’t have the part till the following day. Had to wait 5hrs for an agency driver to come down with a unit then take my tanker to Minsterley, discharge it and go back home. 9hr day turned into a 15hr day.
No mate never driven a truck in my life , but I bow to your superior knowledge and experience in the haulage industry…obviously more wide and varied than mine over the last 33yrs …or maybe even perhaps not 
Been, done t shirt etc etc